Recently, along with reductions in the size and weight of electric and electronic devices, an attempt has been made to reduce the size and thickness of a component for electric and electronic devices such as a terminal (for example, a connector), a relay, a lead frame, or a bus bar used for the electric and electronic devices. Therefore, as a material constituting the component for electric and electronic devices, a copper alloy having superior spring properties, strength, and bendability is required. In particular, as described in Non-Patent Document 1, high yield strength is desired for a copper alloy used for a component for electric and electronic devices such as a terminal (for example, a connector), a relay, a lead frame, or a bus bar.
In particular, in an application in which high electrical conductivity is required, CDA Alloy No. 15100 (Cu—Zr-based alloy) is used. In addition, Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose a copper alloy containing the above-described Cu—Zr-based alloy as a base in which properties are further improved.
The Cu—Zr-based alloy is a precipitation-hardened copper alloy in which the strength is improved while the high electrical conductivity is maintained, and in which heat resistance is superior.